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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
Elaine has been training dogs professionally for 14 years. She is a CPDT as well as an endorsed member of NADOI. She is also certified in narcotics detection and is one half of a (twice) certified explosives detection team - the other half being her Dutch Shepherd Spawn, who is also titled in several protection sports. Elaine is the owner of Canine's Best Behavior, a Los Angeles based training company, offering Basic Manners, CGC, K9 Games (soon!) as well as behavior modification for aggression fears phobias etc.
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6/13/2005
My 4-year-old lab mix is the best dog I have ever had. Doesn't jump, bite, lick, he doesn't even get playful with humans... only wrestles with his friends. I have read a couple of columns here about getting your dog to come, but I have had my dog since the day he was born and he is the most obedient dog on a leash. I have a 100 ft. rope and he can be way on the other end and I ask him to "come" he runs up to me and sits (always getting a reward whether it be a treat, toy, or verbal) but he is to SMART, he knows when the leash comes off and he will do anything to try to get away and just run.
He also knows when we are in a small back yard, or in a dog park...he knows he can't get very far so he listens. It's the times that I open the car door to quick or I am not paying attention when I am opening the door to come home he flies out. I know it is his breed to be a very active dog, and that is why I kept him but we live on 30 acres and that is not enough. How can I keep my dogs attention on staying home and coming leashless? (tivy16, Oklahoma )
Hi Tivy,
Good for you for doing so much work with your Lab. Bad for you that he is so smart. Kidding! It's easy to train a "not so responsive" dog; smart ones are the ones that make us better trainers. Suffice to say that most of your training will have to be off leash and with a varied schedule of treats for things that he knows pretty well. Put the treats where he needs them, not where he expects them.
One thing that might help is teaching him a stop in your tracks command that is (at first) separate and apart from the come command. I use WAIT. You could start by teaching him to wait as you open the door and that OK means he can come out now. Stand with treats hidden at the front door, open it and close it until he is seating himself. Treat him when he chooses the right behaviors, praise when he does it if you tell him to sit. Step out the door and treat him if he doesn't follow and when you release with OK, play with him. If he tries to step out without the OK, step in front of him and block him until he seats himself again. You could also teach him inside/outside by tossing treats in and out, eventually that can become a simple hand cue.
I w
ould practice at doors, in cars, on curbs, driveways, anywhere and everywhere to the point that he would stop on a dime pretty much even if a squirrel carrying a pizza on a jet ski went by. Ok, you may have to use your 100 ft. line for that at first!
If he has a down command add that to the wait. Approach him, take his collar and let him go. That way when you have to get him under physical control (like putting a leash on him) he will be thinking you are only taking hold of his collar to let him go again.
You may even want to try a different command word. Especially if come = run around and not come back to you. Definitely change it if you taught the come command from a sit first.
Cleaning up the recall could be really fun, especially if he likes maybe cloth Frisbees. Playing off leash in a small area that he is likely to come back, throw a Frisbee and call him back. As he's bringing it back -almost to you- produce the other Frisbee and throw it in the other direction. He will most likely drop the first one and go to it. Repeat a few times and when he's looking tired but happy, tell him to down, leash him up and repeat with a slightly bigger distance the next day.
The trick is to always have the Frisbees hidden until he's close enough to get under control if you need him to be. I'd stuff them in my back pocket and swing my arm back to get it when he is about 8ft. away. Remember he's smart; no physical cues from you to give away if you have Frisbees or not. Only play with the Frisbees when you need him to come back from a distance, that way they will retain their fabulousness. Letting him go back to sniff will help redefine that coming to you does not always equal we are leaving now.
Lastly, teaching him his name means look at you would be really helpful keeping him with you on your big walks, it's as easy as taking treats from your nose to his as you say his name and gradually doing it from anywhere, he turns his head, you praise him and let him go back to sniffing. Play hide n go seek in your house with him and then hide behind a tree when outside so he will do what he is bred to do, hunt and come back to you.
I hope that helps, best of luck with your training and please let me know how it goes
Elaine Allison CPDT NADOI
Canine Behavior Consultant
Canine's Best Behavior
1.866.K9s.Best
www.caninesbestbehavior.com
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